Last Words
by BrownBarbie
Summary: Aiden remembers how Ethan was before it all went downhill. Heavy on the Aiden and Ethan brotherly bond, mentions of Dethan. Deucalion's a bit creepy.
1. Chapter 1

Ethan wasn't always like this.

He used to laugh; not the malicious ones he lets out when he hurts someone, but real laughs. Back when all they had to worry about was not getting caught when stealing cookies from the "Forbidden Cabinet" when their babysitter was in the bathroom. They did such stupid things when they were little; they'd pretend the corn-on-the-cobs were light sabers at cookouts, or that the piece of cardboard at the end of the paper towel roll was a pirate telescope. They'd build forts and have peanut butter wars and hold strikes against showers and throughout it all, Ethan laughed.

He used to sing too- much to everyone's dismay- and he played the drums like nobody's business. He even got Aiden to try out an instrument; that's how his love for the guitar started. Their dad let them use the basement for their musical needs and dreams, and in elementary school they often fantasized about being in a band and becoming rock stars. All they needed was a lead singer- it had to be a boy though, because girls were G-R-O-S-S.

He was caring too. He's still is, but it's hidden now, so that all people see is the cold, heartless mask he portrays to the world. But when Aiden started having problems with his temper in middle school, Ethan suggested they try sports. Unsurprisingly, Ethan was right, and as it turned out the twins were killer athletes. They tried out for anything they could, and they made everything. Their track friends even had a dorky saying, "Look out! The Faust Twins will frost you!" It was stupid and painfully unclever, but the twins secretly loved it. Everything was easy, comfortable; they were in their element.

Then things went downhill.

One weekend, Ethan was out running- he'd always been the try-hard out of the two- and he didn't come back after a few hours. Naturally, Aiden went looking for him, and when he saw his brother laying in the dirt with blood on his shirt he nearly had a heart attack. He called his parents, and they met him about a half hour later, when Ethan had just started to stir. When he woke, he bolted upright and started screaming. Their father carried him to the car and told Aiden and his mother to wait outside while he started the car, and before Aiden could push the fact that his brother was covered in _blood_ and that they needed to get him to a hospital, a needle was being pressed into his arm and his mother was whispering "It's for the good of the family," in his ear. Then everything went black.

…

When Aiden woke, the first thing he noticed was that he was tied to a tree. Not roughly, but just tight enough so that he couldn't get himself free. Suddenly, a man approached him. A blind man, Aiden guessed, by his walking stick and sunglasses.

"Why, son, you seem to be in a bit of a pickle."

Aiden thought he seemed like a weird, helpless old man- boy was he wrong.

"Yes sir, I am. Do you think you could help me out of this?"

The man's eyes appeared to bore into Aiden's, even through the sunglasses.

"Who would do this to such a young child?"

Aiden held his head higher. "Well, I'm 13, so I'm not exactly a child anymore, sir. It was just a couple friends of mine pulling a prank, that's all. Do you think you could help me out now?"

The man turned his head to the side. "You know, you calling me 'Sir' is making me feel awfully old. I prefer Duke."

Aiden sighed. "Okay Si- um, Duke. Can you please help me out of this rope now? I really need to get home, I have a curfew and-"

"You know," Duke interrupted, "I really don't appreciate you lying to me Aiden."

That gave Aiden a start. "How-How do you know my name-"

"And," he interrupted again, "it's absolutely horrible that your parents tied you up here."

Aiden paled. "Um, Sir, I think I can get out of this myself-"

Duke smiles. "Oh, you will. And I told you, call me Duke. But, I have a feeling we'll have plenty of time to establish nicknames. Now," he took a step forward, "you can go save your brother."

Aiden saw red as pain flared in his shoulder and the world went black again.

…

When he woke, he noticed that night had begun to fall. He glanced up and saw the full moon starting to peak through the clouds, and he gave an unconscious shudder. Surprisingly, he was able to free himself-the rope seemed so much lighter now- and he wasted no time running back to the house. It started to come into view, and if it had been any other situation he would've taken note of how fast he got there. But Aiden couldn't focus; he had an underlying fear that something bad was happening inside.

Aiden didn't stop running until he reached the basement. He ran down the flight of steps, and the first thing he saw was his brother crying, tied up by this machine that was _electrifying_ him or something; then he saw his mother staring at him in disbelief. His father was holding a device- what Aiden later learned was the remote used to control the electrical current running through Ethan's restraints- and he started yelling, something about his mom using the wrong dosage, but Aiden wasn't listening. He looked at Ethan, who's eyes were begging him for help, and then he looked at his parents. Those-those _monsters _were hurting his baby brother and he felt a primal anger rush into him, and for a moment, instead of everything turning black, it turned red.

And _then_ everything went black.

…

When Aiden woke up, Ethan is shaking him. He tunes out his nervous babbling until he realizes they're in the field again; they're where they found Ethan. He sits up and sees Ethan looking at him with scared- gold?- eyes, and when he looks away Aiden follows his gaze to see the creepy man from yesterday. The man smiles.

"Try to remember to call me Duke this time."

…

Not much happens after that morning. They find out things later on; "Duke" is short for Deucalion, they're werewolves, their parents were werewolf hunters, they killed their parents, and Ethan is gay. Sure, stuff goes downhill again, but besides changing their last names to Powers and getting rid of their southern accents, nothing eventful happens. Nothing seems eventful after that weekend.

Except Daniel.

Daniel- or Dash, as the asshole preferred to be called- came along and Ethan fell in love with him. There's no use elaborating on it because of course the douchebag ripped Ethan's heart out and it pushed Ethan over the edge. That's when he stopped being the sweet twin, the quirky twin, the twin that everyone loved back at their old school- that's when he developed that arrogant, narcissistic mask and started screwing or killing anyone he wanted. Obviously Aiden saw right through it, but that didn't mean others did.

That's the main reason Aiden's here now, standing between Ethan and _Duke_, as Deucalion stabs his claws into his stomach, and Aiden gets a feeling of satisfaction at the utterly shocked expression on his face when he realizes which twin he's stabbing. He quickly takes out his claws in a futile attempt to reduce the damage, but it's been done. Aiden's falling to the ground, and he thinks he hears flesh ripping and Duke screaming in pain, but he can't be sure because his senses are starting to waver.

"Aiden! What the hell! When did you, how did you- why? Why did you jump in front of me?"

Aiden chuckles. "Maybe I have a claw kink, Faust."

Ethan blinks at their old name, their real name, and shakes it off. "Aiden, this is no time for jokes, you're hurt, really hurt, why would you do this-" Ethan chokes on the last word and Aiden realizes just how deep Deucalion's claws went.

He tries to think of a single answer. Ethan has a chance here, a_ life_ here. Danny is Ethan's mate, and even though they can't tell yet, he can. Aiden has nothing here; Lydia was just a mission. Besides, it's a way out- there's no way he could just leave Deucalion, he's the reason Ethan's alive in the first place. And why not just let go? Why not just move on; Ethan was always supposed to have the better future out of the two, and now Aiden could look on, and personally make sure Ethan's future was bright. He would've laughed at the thought of him sounding like the parent for once, if his lungs didn't feel like they were about to explode. He thought about how pitiful it was that the only memories he recalled before dying consisted only of him and his brother, but for some reason he still smiled. Even after all the shit he's been through, he still has his brother. He hopes-knows- Ethan will have more than that, and that's when Aiden decides to give the one answer he knows will sum up all his reasons for what he did, an answer he wouldn't mind having as his last words.

"I did it because you're my baby brother and I love you."

**Omg I have no idea where this came from I just**

**I had an idea and I couldn't stop typing like I was legit possessed omfg**

**Well I really hope you guys like it ^_^**

**And I'm so sorry for not updating _Shattered Suns and Red Moons, _I tried to today and I just couldn't.**

**Hopefully tomorrow's episode will give me the urge to continue it!**

**As always, this was unbeta'd and reviews are cherished(: **


	2. Chapter 2

_Italics_** are flashbacks. Guess I was inspired by last nights episode.**

Aiden died two months ago.

Ethan hasn't been the same since. He felt like a part of him had been ripped out, like someone had reached into his chest and tore out his soul, leaving him empty and broken. He felt cold, numb; most of the time he didn't feel anything at all. He couldn't feel the showerhead spraying cold water on his skin, but he could feel the ice in his bones; he could feel the sorrow buried deep in his chest, threatening to come up through his throat and have him choke on his guilt. Aiden had been his only family member left; the only person he really trusted. They had been through everything together. And now?

Now Aiden's gone.

_"What the hell is wrong with you? You weren't supposed to fall in love with him!"_

_Ethan glares. "Well I did, Aiden."_

_Aiden rolls his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? Even I know that if I fell in love with Lydia, Deucalion would kill her! You do know that's what's going to happen to Danny, right? He's going to die! You don't have a chance!"_

_"I won't let him die! And maybe if you'd just help me, I'd have a better chance!"_

_"What's your ingenious plan then, huh? What are you going to do? Try to join a pack that doesn't trust you? Try to fight Deucalion?"_

_Ethan opens his mouth to speak, but finds no words._

_"See? This is what I mean! I'm not going to help you commit suicide!"_

_"Fine, I'll do this on my own." Ethan turns to leave._

_"Ethan! Ethan, wait! Damnit Ethan, I'm trying to make sure you stay alive!"_

_Ethan slams the door in Aiden's face. _

Ethan grabs his head and groans. Why didn't he listen? If he would've just worked something out with Aiden, he could still be alive. But Ethan didn't listen, and now Aiden's dead. And it's all Ethan's fault. He hated his brother after that argument, or at least he'd tried to. He viewed him as a traitor; the thought that Aiden had a plan of his own to save Ethan _and_ Danny hadn't even crossed his mind. All Aiden did, all he's ever done is look out for Ethan. And Ethan just let him die. He betrayed him.

_The utter lack of control was suffocating._

_It felt wrong. The full moon was out, but Aiden wasn't there. He'd never be there. Ethan felt like something inside of him was shredding, breaking; he was becoming an alpha on his own._

_And it felt wrong._

_Ethan didn't even want to be an alpha. Aiden was just so obsessed with power that he convinced Ethan to become an alpha with him, but they could only fully shift when they were morphed together. Aiden had always wanted to shift on his own, and Deucalion- the bastard- promised him he'd teach him how one day. Aiden should be standing here right now, not Ethan. Ethan didn't deserve this. He didn't even want this. He looked up at the moon and let out a howl of anguish- for himself, for his wolf, and for Aiden._

Ethan turned the shower off, breaking the knob in the process. The memories were too much; they were bringing up emotions he'd hidden away a long time ago. He stumbles out of the shower, and rests his hands on the corners of the sink. When he looks up, he stares in the mirror. The face in front of him, his face, looks so much like Aiden's. If his jawline was just a little sharper, his eyebrows a little higher, he could probably pass for him. His head would have to be squarer too; and he'd have to have red eyes instead of blue. Yeah, he could see Aiden now; right in front of him.

_"Fight back!"_

_Ethan drove his fist into Isaac's face again and again, baiting him. He wanted him to fight back. Ethan was tired of this kid feeling sorry for him- _pitying_ him- and he wanted him to fight back. It's not like he was an alpha anymore anyway, so why wasn't the stupid kid fighting back? _

_"Why are you just taking it? Fight back!"_

_"No."_

_Ethan growls. "Why not? You think you're better than me, Lahey? Is that it? Are you an arrogant little wolf now?" _

_Isaac just coughs out blood as Ethan punches him again. "No, I just know how it feels."_

_Ethan grabs Isaac by the neck and pins him to a tree. "No you don't! You don't know how it feels to watch your brother die! You don't know how it feels to have the only family member you have left die right in front of you!"_

_"Yes I do."_

_Ethan stops mid punch. "Wh-What?"_

_"I know how it feels to lose your family. I know how it feels to watch the only family member you have left die in front of you. And I definitely know what it feels like to blame yourself for it."_

_Ethan lets go of Isaac's shirt collar, and for a split second, he thinks about what Isaac is offering; a chance to open up to someone other than Danny, someone who's pack. Then he glares and turns around._

_"Whatever."_

_He hears Isaac sigh. "Derek and I have lost our families too, Ethan. We understand." He pauses. "You're not alone."_

_Ethan almost turns around. Almost._

His fist burns as the glass shatters in front of him. He doesn't look like Aiden, not at all. Who was he kidding? Aiden was obviously better. He'd always been the stronger twin, the funny twin, the _better _twin- and now he's the dead twin. Aiden was probably going to have the happier future, the greater future- and now he doesn't even have one. All because of Ethan.

Ethan backs away from the broken mirror, stepping on broken glass until his back hits the wall. He slides down to the floor and stares at the glass in his fingers.

"Ethan! Oh my God Ethan, what happened?"

Ethan glances up at Danny's worried face. Weird, he didn't hear him come in.

"Ethan? Babe, you're bleeding everywhere-are you okay?"

Ethan stares at the floor. "It'll heal."

Danny sighs. "That's doesn't answer my question. Are you okay?"

Ethan raises his head, but doesn't meet Danny's eyes. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

Ethan brings his hands to his face; they come back wet.

"Oh. I didn't know I was."

Danny cups Ethan's chin, gently turning Ethan's face towards him. "Ethan, you can't close me out now. I won't let you."

Ethan's eyes water. "I can't."

"Can't what?"

Ethan takes a deep breath. "I can't do this anymore. I can't-I can't do this. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Danny brings Ethan into an embrace. "What do you want me to do, E?"

Ethan hides his face in Danny's neck. "I want- I need-"

"What do you need?"

Ethan leans back, meeting Danny's gaze.

"I need help."

**Okay so I really wanted to continue this, so I did. I ended up getting inspired by a cold shower and Hey Now by London Grammar. Got me in the angsty mood, I guess. **

**Soooooo this was unbeta'd, and reviews are cherished(:**


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a year since Aiden died.

Ethan stood in front of his grave now, reminiscing in the memories he has of his brother. It took him a while to come to terms with Aiden's death; it took half the year just to stop blaming himself for it. Now that he's accepted the fact that Aiden chose this, he was at peace. He wasn't exactly happy, but a calm had settled over his mind. Things were going great with Danny- perfect, actually- so he knew it wouldn't be long before he was happy again.

**_Aiden Faust_**

**_1996-2013_**

**_A loving brother and friend; his soul taught all what courage meant and has shown us an example in death as he did in life. If tears could build a stairway and memories build a bone, then we would gladly walk to heaven to bring him back again, but we know our angel is in God's hands. You will forever be in our hearts._**

Ethan ran his thumb over the word "brother" on Aiden's tombstone. A flow of serenity overcame him; a welcome change to the tears that tend to occur. The field itself brought memories; Ethan refused to have Aiden buried in a cemetery. Aiden rested in the field where their journey first started, where Deucalion turned them. It had been difficult for Ethan to come back after everything that had happened; the fact that he grew up in a small town in Texas seemed farfetched sometimes. They bought the field a while ago, promising themselves they'd come back one day. Ethan made sure Aiden could keep his promise.

"This place is beautiful."

Ethan looked up at Isaac. The two had become closer over the past year, and Ethan thought it was time Isaac really met Aiden. No blood, no pack war, no hatred- just three teenage boys getting to know one another. Or men, considering the fact that they're eighteen now.

"Yeah, it is." Ethan smiles. "I know this probably seems weird but, I want you to know about Aiden. I feel like you guys could've gotten along if you really knew him. He could make anyone like him; that was kind of how he was."

Isaac sits next to Ethan. "Tell me about him."

Ethan smiles. "He liked to act like a tough guy, but he was really just an oversized Teddy bear."

Isaac just smiles and listens.

"He was so good at the guitar- acoustic and electric- and when we were younger we always pretended to be in a band. I'd play the drums and we'd both sing horribly- even though he'd never admit to the singing part- and he loved country. His favorite song was Life After You by Daughtry." He laughs. "And he was obsessed with cowboy boots."

Isaac laughed. "Really?"

Ethan's smile widens. "Yeah, they were kind of popular too. Texas, ya know?" He stares at the grave in front of him. "He used to tell me he wanted his tombstone to be made out of silver."

Isaac raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You know that myth about werewolves hating silver?" Isaac nods. "Well, he couldn't stand the fact that someone, somewhere, thought the great and powerful Aiden Faust could be killed by silver. He wanted to prove everyone wrong." Ethan looks down. "He was really good at that."

Isaac stares at Aiden's tombstone. "He proved me wrong."

Ethan looks up with questioning eyes.

"I thought that he was obsessed with power, so obsessed that he'd try to kill his own brother. He proved me wrong when he gave up his life for you." Isaac runs his hands over the word "courage" on Aiden's grave, then leans back. "Do you want to talk about Ennis?"

Ethan looks at the grave to the right of Aiden's.

**_Ennis Ochoa_**

**_1975-2013_**

**_A treasured son and lover; beneath this simple stone that marks his resting place, our loved one sleeps alone in the Lord's long embrace. God give us strength in our lives without you._**

Ethan sighs. "Ennis was like a father to us. He and Kali, they were kind of like our parents. Deucalion was cold; he only wanted us for power. Ennis was the one who taught us how to control ourselves on the full moon, how to control ourselves when we became alphas. He watched out for us. If Deucalion gave us an assignment that seemed too dangerous, either he or Kali would talk him out of it. He protected us." Ethan frowns. "He didn't deserve to die."

"I'm sorry."

Ethan glances at Isaac's guilt ridden face. "Don't apologize. Your pack didn't have a choice. I understand."

Isaac stops picking at the grass and smiles at Ethan. "You mean our pack."

Ethan grins back. "Right. Well, Ennis was a great guy. You would've liked him."

"Did Ennis grow up here too?"

"No, why?

"He's buried here."

Ethan's eyes light in recognition. "Oh. Well, we made a pact a long time ago. We all wanted to be buried together, like a family."

"Did Ennis not have a family?"

"He did, but he said he wanted to be near us so he could look out for us. Once, he said it was because he wanted to make sure Aiden could find Heaven." He laughs. "Aiden was horrible with directions."

Eventually the boys- men –lay down in contempt silence, enjoying the company of each other and Ethan's loved ones. The scenery was gorgeous; the grass was still a natural green, and the canopy of trees let in just enough light to fill the field with an angelic glow. It seemed endless; everywhere they looked, there were more flowers, more earth, and more beauty.

"How long have you owned this place?"

The sun is starting to set, and both men are staring at the canopy above them. "About two years. The state didn't want to sell it to us at first, 'cause we were sixteen and all, but they gave in eventually."

"You bought this place when you were sixteen?"

"Yeah. We had to give Kali the money to buy it for us. Technically, it was hers, but she signed it off to me when I turned eighteen."

"Wow. You must have a lot of money."

Ethan chuckles. "Yeah, we inherited our parents' money when they died. I still haven't decided if I'm going to sell the estate or not."

Isaac whistles. "An estate, huh? Must've had some crazy house parties."

They laugh. "What did Danny say when you showed him this place?"

Ethan's eyes light up at the thought. "He loved it. He really likes Texas; he said after college, we could move here. Rebuild the Estate and have a life of our own."

Isaac hums in response.

"What about you and Cora? Have you guys talked about where you'd like to go after college?"

Isaac smiles fondly. "As long as the pack's together, I think she'll be okay with it. Maybe we could all move here. Southern hospitality would be a nice change."

"I think that's a great idea."

They lapse into another comfortable silence.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Isaac thinks about whether or not to ask the question before deciding to just ask. "I thought your last name was Powers? It says Faust on the grave."

Ethan takes a while to answer. "Deucalion wanted us to change our names."

"Why Powers? I would've picked something a ton of people have, like Brown or Smith."

Ethan sighs before answering. "Powers was Ennis' fake name. So he let us use it; he let us pretend to be his sons."

Isaac tilts his head to look at Ethan. "But then you really did become his sons, right?"

Ethan smiles. "Yeah, we did."

They lay until there's no light to illuminate the field.

"We should probably head back to the hotel now," Isaac volunteers.

"We should."

They stand, and Ethan grazes his thumb over the words "son and lover" on Ennis' grave. "I almost had them put 'father' on the stone, but I thought better of it. I'd have to explain too much."

He turns to leave, Isaac right next to him.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

A small smile forms on Isaac's face. "Thank you, for bringing me here. I could introduce you to my dad sometime, if you want."

Ethan beams. "I'd like that."

**Author's note:**

**I liked writing this chapter ^_^ And idk why but I just love the idea of Ethan and Aiden being sweet, softhearted southern kids.**

**Maybe it's because I'm from Georgia...**

**Oh well. This was unbeta'd, and reviews are cherished(:**


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